Signboard



Oct. 28, 1941'. F. CONNORS 2,260,558

SIGNBOARD Filed Nov. 8, 1940 2 Shets-Sheet 1 ADVERTISMENT ADVERTIS MENT Inventor A 0/V4PD FCO/V/VO/Pd A iiomey Oct. 28, 1941.

L. F. CONNORS SIGNBOARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 8, 1940 6 w o m 9 m 4 z 1 J f z w. I fl A, f 8 a m/ w. n w i J Wu? 3 J I 7 5 wow 3. i|l|l fl 2 3 y @m Z My e 4 s 3 o 0 2 A? 2 K f J J y f M a 2 Y I 4 w; L

Inventor Attorney Patented Oct. 28,1941

UNITEDS AT -s PATENT OFF-ICE "2,260,658 .YSIGNBOARD i A I lLecnard F. Connors, Fall River, Mass. Application November 8, 1 940, Serial min-4.923

, '3 Claims.

invention relates to' imp'rovements in sign, or bill, boards for advertising purposes, the principal object in view being to provide a sim-' ply constructed device of this character embodyingsectional display panels which may be easily and quickly set up in display position and interchanged, -'if desired, or reversed, and securely held in nprigl it position against unauthorized removal.

Another dbject is to provide a device ofthe character and for the purpose above set forth in whichan animated advertising panel may be installed in difierent set positions and which is equipped with a concealed motor drive for the animated panel arranged to be shifted in accordance with the positioning of the panel for operative connection thereto. I

Another -'object is to provide an advertising sign, or bill, board, equipped for the purposes above set forth, which is economical to manufacture, set up, and service, and which affords the maximum protection to the sign display and motor drive.

' To the accomplishment of the'aboveyand subordinate objects presently appearinga preferred embodiment or myinvention-has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, set forth in detail in the succeeding description, and defined in the claims appended hereto.

'In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a View in front elevation of the 'preferred embodiment of my invention,

'Fig-ure'2 is a view in top plan,

" Figure 3 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line 3-3-of Figure '1, v

Figure '4 is a view in vertical transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure '1- and drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 5 is a similar view taken on the line 55 of Figure 1, and

Figure 6 is a'view in perspective of thebrid'ge member. I

Referring to the drawings 'by numerals, my

improved sign, or-bill, board, in its illustrated embodiment comprises an elongated, open back base casing l, of any suitable material, including a fiat top and bottom 2, '3, a front wall 4 and a rear door 5 for closing the back of the casing, hinged at its top edge, as at 6, to open upwardly and rearwardly and equipped with suitable latches, as at I, for holding the same closed. The front side corners of the base casing l are preferably rounded, as at 8, and said front ornamentally decorated, as at 9, to enhance the appearance of the device.

Arising from the top 2 of bounded by an internal ledge l, a flat'top l2,

and a closed back 1 3 spaced from the ledge to form a chamber t'll in said frame for a purpose presently seen. A transversely Lshaped molding strip 44 extends along the bottom .of the ledge H on the top 2 of base casing I 'in the rear of said ledge and forms together with the latter a'bottom groove 15 extending alongthe front of the frame-l0. An internal flange l-6 extending along the top I 2 of the frame ['0' parallel with the top of said ledge II formsto gether with the latter atop groove Iz8 extending along the front of the frame H]. A center cut-out in the bottom of the ledge l'l provides a bottom gap [9 in said front ledge forming anentrance to the 'bottom groove 15. 'The ends of the ledge ll at the ends of the gap H! are beveled downwardly and inwardly and the cutout portion of said'ledge providesasimilarly beveled bridge member 20 fitting into thegap 1-9 to close the same. A pair of flat bar fasteners 2|, of suitable metal, with outer eyelet ends 22 are countersunk in the top of the bridge member 20 for fitting flush in countersinks 23 the ledge H. "Ifhe fasteners 2| may be secured to the bridge member '20 'byscrews 2'4 and bolted in "the countersin'ks asat '25.

A plurality, three in this instance, of advertis i-ng display panels 26 of elongated rectangular form and any suitable rigid material are proedge, in the frame 1 0 and grooves l'5,'and [8,

said panels being of the proper width to be entered at the bottom ends thereof in the bottom groove -13 by'way o'f the gap [9.

As will be seen, the display panels 26 are Yin stalled in the frame In by first inserting the top edge of one panel upwardly into the groove I8, above the gap l9,'w-i'th'-the panel tilted downwardly and forwardly from the frame, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5, and said'panel is then swung inwardly to insert its bottom edge I in the bottom groove 15 by way of the gap 19, after which the panel may be slid along the grooves l5, l8, toward either side of the frame In. Another panel 26 is then similarly installed in the frame IE! but slid to the opposite side of said frame and then a center panel is similarly installed in the center of the frame and the bridge member 20 secured in position to prevent removal of said panels. As best shown the base casing l, adjacent the back thereof "is a narrower andpref in Figure 5, a clearance is provided between the panels 26 and the walls of the grooves I5, I8, whereby the panels are prevented from warping under expansion thereof in said grooves, and are freely slidable in the latter.

As shown in Figure 1, my invention comprehends equipping at least one of the panels 26 with an animated, or movable, part shown by way of exemplification as a disk 21 having a star 28 delineated thereon and adapted to be rotated throughthe medium of a shaft 29 journalled in said panel to extend rearwardly therefrom into the chamber I and equipped at its rear end with a crank arm 30. As will be understood, from the foregoing, the panels 26 may be interchanged in the frame ID to provide for variably positioning the same in said frame.

For driving the disk 2'! of the panel 26 equipped therewith, in different positions of said panel, the following motor drive is provided.

'A pair of guide rails 3| of any suitable metal are suitably secured to the top 2 of the base casing I to extend along said top in parallel relation in said casing and parallel with the frame It]. A motor housing 32, of box-like form, is suitably suspended from said guide rails 3| by upper edge flanges 33 thereon for sliding adjustment in the base casing I lengthwise of the latter and along the front of the frame Ill. Set screws 34 suitably extended through slots, not shown, in the guide rails 3| provide for securing the housing 32 in different set positions. A motor 35, of any conventional type, is bolted, as at 36,v in said housing 32 with its armature shaft 31 extending out of the back of the housing and equipped with a crank disk 38 fast thereon. The crank arm 30 and crank disk 38 are each provided with a detachable wrist pin 40 for attaching the opposite ends of an operating rod 4| to said arm and disk whereby the crank disk 38 may be operatively connected to the crank arm 30. A longitudinally extending slot 42 in the top 2 of the base casing I provides for extension of the rod 4I into the chamber ID, in which chamber, as will be understood, the crank arm 30 operates.

As will now be seen, the motor housing 32 may be adjusted through the back of the base casing I to set the motor 36 in subjacent, centered relation to the panel 26 having the disk 21 thereon in any position in which said panel is set and for proper driving relation to said disk. Also, the panels 26 may be quickly and easily installed and variably interchanged to vary the advertising display as desired.

The panels 26 are preferably provided with permanent advertising display matter on the faces thereof so that said panels may be reversed if desired and pasting of advertising display obviated.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claims.

- gap therein, a pair of top and bottom member in said frame forming together with said ledge a pair of top and bottom grooves extending along said frame, a plurality of advertising display panels loosely fitting in said grooves side by side for sliding therein into different positions in said frame and for tilting forwardly in the top groove, said panels being of the requisite width for removal of the lower edges thereof out of the bottom groove by way of said gap whereby said panels may be removed from said frame and replaced and slid along said grooves to interchange the same and vary the positions thereof, and a bridge member fitting in said gap to close the same and detachably secured to said ledge.

2. An advertising sign comprising an elongated base casing, a frame upstanding from saidcasing, and having an internal front ledge extending around the same provided with a central bottom gap therein, a pair of top and bottom members in said frame forming together with said ledge a pair of top and bottom grooves extending along said frame, a plurality of advertising display panels loosely fitting in said grooves side by side for sliding therein into different positions in said frame and for tilting forwardly in the top groove,

said panels being-of the requisite width for removal of the lower edges thereof out of the bottom groove by way of said gap whereby said panels may be removed from said frame and replaced and slid along said grooves to interchange the same and vary the positions thereof, and a bridge member fitting in said gap to close the same and detachably secured to said ledge, a rotatable member on one panel for creating an animated advertising display, a motor in said casing slidable along the same into different set positions to locate the same in centered subjacent position relative to said one panel in the varied positions of the latter, and operating connections between said motor and member.

3. An advertising sign comprising an elongated base casing, a frame upstanding from said casing and having an internal front ledge extending around the same provided with acentral bottom gap therein, a pair of top and bottom members in said frame forming together with said ledge a pair of top and bottom grooves extending along said frame, a plurality of advertising display panels loosely fitting in said grooves side by side for sliding therein into different positions in said frame and for tilting forwardly in the top groove, said panels being of the requisite width for removal of the lower edges thereof out of the bottom groove by way of said gap whereby said panels may be removed from said frame and replaced and slid along said grooves to interchange the same and vary the positions thereof, and a bridge memberfitting in said gap to close the same and detachably secured to said ledge, said frame being constructed and arranged to form an open front housing for said panels.

LEONARD F. CONNORS. 

